Under modern farming methods, products such as hay are presently gathered in the field into relatively large, cylindrical bales weighing between 500 and 2000 pounds. Such bales require specialized loading and transporting equipment for effective handling and are generally specifically structured and configured to accord to the size and weight of the bales. Various types of loading equipment have been devised including "spear" loaders employing a sturdy, pointed shaft which impales the middle of the bale from an end. Other types of loading equipment employ spaced grippers which engage the opposite ends of the bale. The spear loaders typically lift and carry the bale with the bale cylindrical axis aligned with the spear or pointed shaft and the gripping arm loaders usually lift and carry the bale with its cylindrical axis aligned transversely to the loader.
As the loader and the transporter used for carrying the bales must be compatible, some difficulty has been encountered with loading bales onto the bale supporting frames or cradles of a transporter or carrier which have been oriented in a set manner. Further, some bale transporters or carriers have employed relatively bulky and complex mechanical linkage arrangements or hydraulic rams to facilitate unloading of the bale.